With only one career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway — in his very first start there — you might think the track was not on Kevin Harvick’s list of favorite places to race.

You would be wrong.

Considering his past record at AMS, the 42-year-old Harvick might be among the drivers to beat Sunday on the 1½-mile oval in suburban Hampton, Ga. He has led more than 100 laps in five of his last six races at the track, and last season Harvick led for 292 of 325 laps before coughing up the lead late in the race due to a pit road speeding penalty. He finished ninth.

In 27 career starts at Atlanta, Harvick has one win, six top-five and 12 top 10 finishes. He has produced 10 of those top 10s in his last 13 appearances. His 97.0 rating at the track ranks third among active drivers.

His win there came in his third career NASCAR Cup Series start in 2001, when Harvick drove the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to victory lane after replacing Dale Earnhardt, who had passed away three weeks earlier during an accident on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

Harvick has reached victory lane at Atlanta on five other occasions — four times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, including three of his last five starts, and once in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Drivers love the track, he believes, because of it’s patched-up, abrasive asphalt surface.

“I led 292 laps last year at Atlanta and screwed it up with a speeding penalty at the end of the race,” Harvick said. “But I think if you would talk to the garage in general, this is one of the drivers’ favorite tracks. I think the reason is that the tires wear out so fast, cars slide around and you just have to do so much behind the wheel to be able to make your car go around the corner all day.

“It’s a very fun place to race but, for me, it’s been frustrating because we’ve run so well through the years there and only been to victory lane one time. It’s a place we want to go to and run well and hopefully they keep putting a lot of patches down.”

Kevin Harvick celebrates in victory lane after winning the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. It was Harvick's third win in 2015 and he would finish the season second in the standings. Matthew O'Haren, USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Harvick celebrates with a bottle of champagne, a bottle of Budweiser and the championship trophy after earning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship on Nov. 16, 2014. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Harvick, left, and team co-owners Tony Stewart, second from left, and Gene Haas, second from right, do an interview with ESPN in victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, left, and Kevin Harvick talk in the garage during practice on June 1, 2007 at Dover International Speedway. Close friends off the track, Stewart announced Harvick would race for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2014. Matthew S. Gunby, AP

Kevin Harvick holds his son, Keelan, as his wife, DeLana, tends to him during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 27, 2012. John Harrelson, Getty Images

Kevin Harvick and wife DeLana during pre-race activities for the 2007 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick won the Great American Race for his only Daytona 500 victory far. Jason Smith, USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Harvick holds the trophy over his head as he celebates with car owner Richard Childress after clinching the NASCAR Busch series championship on Nov. 3, 2001, at North Carolina Speedway. Bob Jordan, AP

Team owner Richard Childress promoted Kevin Harvick a year earlier than planned after the death of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500. Just three weeks later, Harvick was celebrating his first Cup win in just his third start, on March 11, 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ric Feld, AP

Kevin Harvick stands in the garage area of North Carolina Speedway near Rockingham, N.C., as he waits for a practice session on Feb. 24, 2001, a week after replacing driver Dale Earnhardt, who was killed on the last lap of the Daytona 500. Grant Halverson, AP